I had to go check it out.
And I'm glad I did.
It seems like Macy's is sometimes slow in getting the good stuff if they ever get it, but I made a special trip to Macy's to see if they had Pure Malt and they did. They had just received a few bottles of this limited edition. I tried it on a card and liked it right away.
It is very boozy and has a huge Scotch whisky character to it. I get notes of oak and peat-- even a hint of a seaside quality like that of the Islay malts. It's amazing how much this treatment complements the A*men signature. Pure Malt is not so loud and chaotic as the original. This is smooth and refined. It was good on the card, but it didn't reveal the good stuff until I put it on my skin. As it dries down, it moves toward a bitter dark chocolate direction. Reminds me of those little dessert chocolates that are shaped like bottles and contain after dinner liqueurs. The smoky peat, booze and oak notes do a fantastic job of balancing the sweetness.
I am kind of tired of the rehashed flask design-- I wish they'd do something different (the Ice*Men bottle was very cool), but it's OK. I hadn't worn the regular A*Men in a long time. My small bottle that I'd bought years ago had gone off, so I was looking to get another bottle of A*Men at some point. I'm glad I waited and got the Pure Malt. It has everything I liked about A*men and then some. I had application problems before with A*Men; it was so strong that I had a hard time putting the minimal amount on. Pure Malt is not a nuclear bomb like the original. This is much easier to wear.
Good stuff!
